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108 SEEDWORLD.COM DECEMBER 2015 Exploring ideas and views on all aspects of the seed industry. JAPANESE AUTHOR CHANGES VIEWS WRITES A NEW BOOK ON GM CROPS Masami Kojima a journalist and former biotech critic recently released Extreme Misunderstanding of GM Crops the first Japanese science-based publication on GM crops. Kojima was an active anti-GM newspaper reporter for one of the three most popular newspapers in Japan. In the book Kojima documents scientific information and benefits of GM crops from credible scientific studies as well as his accounts of seeing farmers fields and taking tours through laboratories in the United States. He apologized for his previous anti-GMO stance and acknowledged he was wrong in writing about GM crops without understanding the truth about the technology. The book also criticizes the media and academia in Japan for disseminating wrong information and urges them to tell stories based on science not politics. Views from various stakeholders including local and foreign farmers are featured and highlight the importance of science-based understanding of GM crops as well as safety tests of crops and foods derived from them. HAVING THIS BIOFUEL CHOICE CREATES COMPETITION AND COMPETITION USUALLY RESULTS IN CONSUMERS PAYING LESS FOR SOMETHING. Tom Vilsack TPP TEXT RELEASED FORMAL APPROVAL PROCESS BEGINS After lengthy negotiations 12 countries came to an agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership TPP Oct. 5. One month later the U.S. government released a nearly-final version of the pact. This new information will help stakeholders fully understand the scope and impact of the new agreement and starts the formal process for Congressional approval. With the text now public President Barack Obama also formally notified Congress of his plan to sign the TPP. According to the requirements of the trade promotion authority legislation the administration is required to give Congress 90 days notice to review the agreement before it is signed. After the presidents signature is in place and implementing legislation is introduced Congress can take up to 90 legislative days to review and vote on the agreement. This agreement marks the first time that agricultural biotechnology is covered in a bilateral or regional U.S. trade agreement. The TPP includes provisions on agricultural biotechnology that commit participating countries to foster transparency in their decision-making processes to work together on situations of low-level presence and to promote timely authorization of biotech products. It also creates a working group to address matters related to trade in agricultural biotechnology products. USDA PREPARES TO RAMP UP BIOFUELS INFRASTRUCTURE Toward the end of October U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a partnership to increase fueling pumps for biofuels in 21 states an investment that will nearly double the number of fueling pumps nationwide that supply renewable fuels to motorists. The Biofuels Infrastructure Partnership BIP looks to double the number of fuel pumps capable of supplying higher blends of ethanol nationwide such as E15 and E85. With federal funding of 100 million and combining that with 120 million in commitments from private industry and state resources Vilsack says the BIP is a 220 million investment thats going to result in new renewable fuel systems available across the United States. Increased domestic production and use of renewable energy paired with growing renewable energy exports has the potential to support hundreds of thousands of jobs in rural communities. Having this biofuel choice creates competition and competition usually results in consumers paying less for something Vilsack said during the announcement in Kissimmee Fla. At the same time there are jobs more stable farm prices and less reliance on foreign oil and cleaner air. agricultural biotechnology is covered in a bilateral agricultural biotechnology is covered in a bilateral